Mutual Needs

• Corn and cucumbers need the equivalent of 1 inch of water per week. Corn can adapt to a range of soils, but prefers a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Cucumbers need a pH of 5.8 to 6.5. Corn needs a fertilizer high in nitrogen to drive stalk growth and aid in ear production. Cucumbers need only moderate fertilizing, but require applications of nitrogen in the weeks after blooming. Corn performs best when the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees F for standard varieties and 65 degrees F for super-sweet varieties; cucumbers require a soil temperature above 50 F to germinate and grow best at a soil temperature of 70 F.
  
  

Mutual Benefits

• Cucumbers trained to climb onto a support offer you clean fruits for harvest. Corn can act as a support, and cucumbers may help shade out some weeds. Cucumbers benefit from the shade provided by corn, and the plants appear to be offensive to raccoons, which may dissuade them from robbing your corn of its ears, according to the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The extension service also suggests planting a few radishes around your cucumbers to repel cucumber beetles.
  
  Bees may be more attracted to a plot with both corn and cucumbers, as there is more pollen available. While corn is mainly wind-pollinated, bees can help pollinate corn, and bees are needed for pollinating cucumbers. Poor pollination and poor pollen development can lead to misshapen fruit. Poor pollination may be caused by high temperatures, too much shade and too little moisture, according to Mississippi State University Extension.
  
  

Placement

• You should plant corn in multiple short rows to achieve a better rate of pollination. Cucumbers may be planted along the outside of the rows, interspersed among them, or in a space guarded by corn. The North Dakota State University Extension suggests you plant corn either around your cucumber patch or on the windward side. The corn acts as a screen to prevent aphids from accessing your plants. Aphids carry viral diseases that can damage cucurbits.
  
  

Disease

• While corn and cucumbers generally face different diseases, environmental conditions can lead either to an increased susceptibility for disease, particularly fungal infections. One exception, anthracnose, affects cucumbers and has been observed in corn. To prevent spreading fungal diseases, avoid working with your crops when the foliage is wet. Both crops should be watered in the early morning to allow any moisture on the foliage to dry quickly and reduce the potential for fungal disease development, and cucumbers should be watered at ground level to prevent infections.